Pursuant to the pronouncement for a comprehensive review of the mining operations, 16 audit teams were created to review the compliance of the country’s metallic mining operations.
Each team is composed of technical representatives from the Bureau of Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources from the Central and Regional Offices, and experts from agriculture, fisheries, health, and social action center.
Each team from the regions is assigned to conduct an audit to other regions to ensure fairness in the auditing process.
There is only one mining operations to be audited in Central Visayas based on the Memorandum signed by Joselin Marcus Fragada, Senior Undersecretary and Undersecretary for Field Operations dated July 29.
Carmen Copper Corp. (CCC), the operator of Atlas Mining Consolidated Mining and Development Corp. (ACMDC) located in Toledo City, west of Cebu, is one of the 43 metallic mining operations in the country. A technical team from Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) is set to the conduct the mine audit today.
The mine safety and health audit will cover an investigation on whether the mining companies is compliant with the approved safety and health program. Other scope of validation includes their compliance on their Environment Compliance Certificate (ECC), tenement provisions, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Solid Waste Management Act, proper treatment and disposal of hazardous waste and chemicals, and approved social development management plan.
An orientation with the experts from Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Department of Health (DOH), representatives from the Social Action Center of the Cebu Archdiocese and civil society was conducted by the mine audit team yesterday at the DENR-7 Office in Sudlon, Lahug prior to the actual audit today.
The audit team for Carmen Copper Corp. is headed by Teodorico A. Sandoval from MGB Central Office. The members include Felizardo A. Gacad, Jr. and Sydney C. Lalwet of MGB-CAR, Lowell G. Barton and Mark Anthony P. Solano from Environmental Management Bureau (EMB-CAR), and Mario Aragon of DENR-7.
The technical team from the Central Visayas composed of Engr. Edgardo C. Loquellano, Monitoring and Technical Services Section Chief of the Mine Management Division (MMD), and Engr. Ramcie S. Brillante, OIC Chief of the Mine Environment Section of the Mine Safety, Environment and Social Development Division (MSESDD) is also tasked to audit three mining operations in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) namely Benguet Corp., Lepanto Consolidated Mining Co., and Philex Mining Corp.